Applique Pillow Project for Bunk Room

It’s been awhile since I shared my boys shared bunkroom and there are quite a few projects in there that I have yet to share. One of them is how to make an applique pillow like these cute throw pillows I made with matching piping for their beds. You have no idea how long I searched for cute pillows (that weren’t a fortune) that were exactly what I wanted. I was looking for some vintage photo of skiiers or mountain climbers like a Slim Aarons photo from photos.com that was on a pillow. Unfortunately I didn’t find any, and then I found some similar kind of scrapbook paper to make some wall art, so I went that route instead. I decided to go the route of making my own pillows and going with some sweet little deer appliques.

These were fun to make and I was able to make my own piping that matched the applique and they turned out really professional looking and I barely spent anything on them since I already had the blue duck cloth from some curtains I made for my dining room. I also had some throw pillows that I was going to donate so I took the stuffing out of them rather than purchase new.

For the appliques I cut out some cute deer cookie cutter shapes with my Silhouette. You could actually use a cookie cutter and then just trace it. After cutting the fabric for your pillows the size you want them (2 pieces, one for each side), leaving at least a 1/4″ on each side for seam allowance, pin the applique to the center of one of your pieces.

Using a decorative stitch…it can just be a zig zag, but I prefer one that crosses over more so that it’s good and secure, sew around the applique.

You can even turn it over when you’re finished and just use the reverse applique design…super cute!

Now the fun part about making your own piping? You can do it in fun fabrics! It’s super easy too! You just make one long line of bias tape (there are LOTS of great tutorials out there on how to make it if you don’t know how, I know Make It and Love It has one), don’t fold and iron it, just make a piece long enough to go ALL the way around your pillow. Then you will just need some cord…or clothesline rope in the thickness you want your piping. You can go REALLY fat here, or super skinny, or just a regular size like I did. Then you need a piping foot, or a foot that will get you close enough to get the cord into the bias really tight.

Place the cording into the fabric folded in half and sew as close to the rope as you can all the way down the tape.

The next step is sewing it into the pillow. You just pin it along the inside of the pillow and put the insides together with all the edges on the outside.

Then using that same foot, sew right next to that piping again. This is why you want a good seam allowance if you have a specific need for the pillow insert if you aren’t stuffing it.

I left one side open and then turned it right side out. Then I just stuffed it with the batting until it was full enough.

Then I pinned the opening closed, making sure that the piping was right against the edge and the that the edges were folded in. Finally just sew that closed.

And there you have it! Cute applique pillow designs with piping that matches! Super happy with them and how the whole room turned out. They’ve held up perfectly and are used for pillow fights on a daily basis. 🙂

Have you made your own piping before?

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Tiffany

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Tiffany is a stay at home mom to four ridiculously cute kids and wife to one smoking hot McDreamy lookalike. She loves the color white, chocolate chip cookies and sunshine. She is the founder of Making the World Cuter, where she loves to decorate, make cute gifts and fun printables.